


brighter than

by kinpika



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Christmas Lights, Christmas revelations, Christmas surprises, M/M, McCree loves and is loved, mcgenji secret santa 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-12 01:22:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9049510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinpika/pseuds/kinpika
Summary: McGenji Secret Santa 2016Gift for: biscottishark@tumblrAbout three more steps take it, until Genji stops McCree, both hands on his shoulders. “Stay. And don’t open your eyes.”“Anything for you,” McCree jokes, holding a hand over his eyes for further emphasis.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [biscottishark](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=biscottishark).



It’s nearly midnight on Christmas Eve, and McCree is fairly sure that this was one of his worst attempts at the holiday to date. Christmas was never his time of year — at least, not since Overwatch went bust. Before that he adored the holiday, spending all the time in the world with his family that grew every damn year, but now

Well, it was _growing_ on him. Slowly but surely, McCree was getting used to the idea of not being alone around this time of year (or nearly any time of year, if he was being honest). Winston’s recall wasn’t such a bad idea, once he managed to talk himself into it. But that was something to linger on another day, as the shops were closing, and he was running quite literally straight into doors at every turn. _Typical_. So ridiculously typical of him to leave it to the last minute. McCree could almost hear all the jokes in the world at his trigger finger being a little too _quick_ at all the wrong moments.

Clicking his tongue, McCree didn’t want to admit it, except it seemed like the only option. He was done. The universe was giving him a bigger sign than he actually wanted to see, and McCree would be damned if he didn’t get something, save for the fact there was nothing left to get. Anything at this point would be sufficient enough — and McCree almost kicks himself for how that sounded. No, he wanted something _special_. Meaningful, even, but if another door closed on him he was going to kick the next one in.

“Dammit!” 

McCree walks face first into the last jeweller. And, he gets it. Honestly, he understands that it’s Christmas Eve (practically _Christmas_ at this point) but he can’t be the only one. Surely not.

Looking around the streets, McCree starts to notice the lack of shoppers, per say, and more just… _people_. Milling about the decorated streets, people of all kinds. McCree was also sure he spied an omnic or two amongst the crowd, which was growing to be a rare sight in itself these days. “Damn,” he mumbles, watching a couple walk past. Here he was, trying to rush in a present, when he could’ve been taking Genji out on the town. Maybe there was something wrong with him, and not with the season. Maybe all his wires were crossed and maybe—

Not wanting to go down that path, McCree cuts himself off. There was to be nothing like that, especially not when they went up to one of the old Overwatch bases and tried to fix the cameras for a holo chat that Lena _insisted_ on doing. And McCree _only_ agreed because Angela was very painfully adamant that he should join in no matter how much of a ‘grinch’ he wanted to be that year. Even though both Genji and himself insisted green was not his colour, McCree ultimately walked away from Gibraltar with several different names and responded to all of them. McCree decided that he would sulk about everything tomorrow.

But not wanting to admit he messed up was a lot harder than what he thought it would be, so McCree kicks a particularly large pile of snow and walks under the lights. _Damn._ He was bad at this. He was bad at this back in Overwatch, Blackwatch, _whatever_ name he wanted to staple to himself. Even though Genji insisted that McCree’s attempts at flirting over the last decade and a half were ‘endearing’, McCree was sure that Genji just didn’t want him to feel bad. 

One chance, McCree just had _one chance_ to actually one-up Genji in a way he probably didn’t expect. Honestly, who would expect Jesse McCree to actually pull a—

“Sweet Jesus! Genji! Say something next time, I swear to—!!”

“Do not swear. There are children around.” Genji may say that, but McCree _swears_ he can hear the grin in Genji’s voice, not at all deterred by the filter of his visor.

“What the _heck_ ,” McCree is sure the visor jumped a little then, “are you doing hanging from a damn roof?! Gonna give a man a heart attack!”

And then McCree hears the _sniff_ , as if he had somehow offended Genji. “I would _never_.” Sure ya wouldn’t, McCree thinks, but he’s reaching up to swipe at the ribbon hanging from the back of Genji’s visor. There was an idea, buy him another, but that thought disappears when Genji lowers himself a little more, until McCree can safely rest his hands either side of Genji’s face.

“You’re going to fall,” he sighs, trying to be stern but failing sufficiently.

Genji does a shrug, although upside down it doesn’t have quite the same effect. “You will catch me.”

“No promises, sweetheart. My timing’s always been pretty awful when it comes to you.”

There’s laughter, but it’s not the sort that was spilling out before. “I think you’ve done good so far.”

“‘Done good so far’? Who have you been talking to lately?” McCree laughs at the phrase and manages to tug Genji to the ground, arm firmly around his shoulder to stop anything a little more ninja-y and escape-y. “Normally you’d be waxing poetry right about now.”

Genji mumbles something, and McCree almost believes he was embarrassed. Still getting a handle on his Japanese again, while Genji was flying ahead with his English. The middle ground they had made since the recall was still a work in progress. But that suited McCree just fine, as he was sure there were moments too for Genji, where not being understood in his mother tongue meant he could rephrase and not embarrass the daylights out of himself. 

Well, at least now he didn’t stick out like a sore thumb, keeping Genji tucked under his arm. Genji himself didn’t seem to mind, arm around McCree’s middle with a hand in his back pocket. Feeling no need to comment, McCree just smiled and exhaled, watching his breath puff up white. This, this he could do. The other stuff, yeah, not so much. But if it was just him, and Genji, and simply walking aimlessly, McCree was sure he could do this right.

“I would like to show you something.”

Another spanner in the works. McCree just smiles, mumbles a “sure”, and let’s Genji lead. Always about letting Genji lead these days, but McCree was starting to enjoy the backseat life (except, of course, when it came to trying to be first. Muddled again, forget about it Jesse, come on). Despite not taking much notice of the way they weaved between people, McCree noted several looks that eventually got lost alongside others. He wanted to comment at every wary look that Genji was _not_ an omnic, but that’d be like yelling a brick wall these days. Fear was getting to be too powerful once more.

“This way.”

Their hands slips from each other’s bodies until they’re just holding hands, Genji’s now nice and warm in McCree’s own. Fingers laced together, McCree lets himself be walked into some nice dark corner of the town, following Genji up a fire escape on some old building. “Genji, not to discourage you, but uh… where are we going?”

Genji turns back, only once, and the pride in his voice is unmistakable. “I found something _cool_.”

_Cool_. McCree watches Genji jiggle one of the handles on a door, shifting to shoulder it in, and continues on into the dark. Damn, McCree thought, Genji was so cool sometimes. Soft light fills the path ahead of them, causing McCree to laugh as Genji glowed a sharp green. Looking around quickly, McCree could gauge this was a construction site, either at one point or soon to be, plastic sheeting all around.

“You know, this would be a great location to hide a body.”

“Jesse, please stop watching movies with Dr Ziegler and Miss Oxton. I worry for you.”

“I’m just saying. No one would ever know.” McCree pauses, stopping Genji in his tracks. “Is this the cool thing you wanted to show me? Sweetheart, you know I was joking the other night when you asked what I wanted for Christmas?”

McCree can _feel_ the sheer amount of irritation, disappointment and exasperation roll off Genji in waves, but the fact that he removed his visor just so McCree could see his face said something else. “Kidding, babe.” Holding up both hands now, as he assumed he was banned from the hand-holding until further notice, McCree hoped Genji wouldn’t knock him out for that comment. Although, he would punch himself for that. 

“Please stop talking. And close your eyes.” Genji fixes his visor back into place, took McCree’s hand once more, and walked on, not waiting for McCree. 

Despite the complete faith in Genji, McCree couldn’t deny it unnerved him a little to close his eyes and trust him to not let him fall. That was his own weakness talking again, worming its way into everything again. There was nothing McCree could do to stop it entirely, but he could temper it down, focusing on the way Genji’s fingers curled around his own, flexing a little when McCree squeezes.

“Nearly there.” 

About three more steps take it, until Genji stops McCree, both hands on his shoulders. “Stay. And don’t open your eyes.”

“Anything for you,” McCree jokes, holding a hand over his eyes for further emphasis. He hears something he can call laughter leave Genji, and then nothing at all. Still managed to amaze him, even after years, just how _quiet_ Genji could be. There are footsteps, at least McCree thinks there are, but it could just be pests crawling around.

“Not to rush you, Genji, but I’m really starting to think you’ve hid a body.”

McCree can feel the _whoosh_ as Genji appears in front of him, hand prying McCree’s from his face. “There are no bodies, I promise. Walk this way a little please.”

In front of McCree is one large plastic sheet. He can’t quite see through it, but watching Genji fret was far more interesting at this point. “I’m looking, but I don’t quite understand—”

Never let it be said that Genji wasn’t a show off, as he takes McCree’s gun and quickly fires two shots at two ropes in either corner. McCree goes to make a comment about sharpshooting, but he doesn’t make it to the word part. As the sheet falls, he sees a large window, but it’s what’s behind it that really has him stop.

“Genji…”

“Cool, huh?”

Definitely a little more than _cool_. In front of McCree was the Christmas tree that stood in the middle of the plaza, still several stories higher than the building they were in. But the lights were so bright that they almost burned into McCree’s eyes, engulfing the room just enough for him to see Genji slide up to him. “This is really cool,” he finally says, and it sounds so ridiculously lame, except he couldn’t think of anything else. Very faintly, in the background, McCree could hear carols, chatter, so much life just beyond the glass, and it was beautiful.

“You said you hadn’t seen a tree since Overwatch ended.”

“Kinda avoided the whole thing…”

And it’s such a kick in the gut that Genji had followed some slight comment in a conversation weeks ago to something like _this_. And McCree hadn’t done anything. Gotten him anything. Had nothing to show him. McCree rubs a hand over his face, exhaling a little louder than he intended, and shifts his weight to his other foot. He was so bad at this — just when he thought he was getting good, everything went wrong.

“Did I—was this not what you meant?” Genji normally didn’t sound frantic, but the way his voice jumped a little hinted towards it. “Jesse, we can leave.”

McCree looks down, at how Genji had crossed his arms, and realises there was a communication error he wasn’t sure how to stop. “Wait, what, no—”

“I know that… it was hard for you. You stayed until the end. But I thought this was…” Genji trails off, before stopping entirely. It wasn’t just him being hurt or confused. Something deeper that McCree wasn’t sure he could tap into just yet, as he still hadn’t sorted himself out.

“Genji, that’s not what I—… I love this. I love you.”

Hands on Genji’s shoulders, McCree shakes him a little, encouraging Genji to look up. “This is perfect. You are perfect. I just… I didn’t get you anything. I wanted to _so_ badly and I messed up.” McCree sighs a little, opening his mouth to keep talking, keep explaining, when Genji speaks up.

“You never had to get me anything, Jesse.”

“I-I know… I wanted to. Just somethin’ that would—” McCree cuts himself off, a strangled noise leaving him. There was no way he could possibly sum it up, that something material he had gifted Genji meant it would be with him in some way. Perhaps it was the holiday season, making him all the more emotional than he honestly wanted to be, but if it kept him in Genji’s thoughts just like Genji was always in his, well, then he was a sucker for the spirit.

Except Genji is always at least three steps ahead of where McCree wanted to be, and presses the palm of his hand against McCree’s cheek. “I am more than happy enough like this.”

McCree pouts, but doesn’t deny the warmth that spreads through him. “You _always_ say that.” 

“It's because I am _always_ right.”

“Darlin’, I don’t think it works that way.” He’s smiling, and he leans down to rest his forehead against Genji’s, visor cool against his skin, but that wasn’t going to bother him in the slightest. McCree just focused on breathing and keeping his eyes shut. Trying to relax a little more and not be so worked up over feeling like he could never give what Genji deserved. Telling himself not to worry that someone like Genji actually wanted him, in some strange way, and that that was the best damn thing that had ever happened to him.

McCree focused on not being lonely, on being loved, and it was incredible how he felt a little like crying.

“You’re too good for me, y’know.”

“Of course I am,” Genji answers without missing a beat. Laughing a little, McCree can feel his face fall, and only pulls back when Genji’s hands move up. As Genji pulls at the clips holding the visor in place, McCree finally opens his eyes, watches as Genji’s face is slowly revealed once more. 

“Hey there,” he finds himself whispering, smiling in wonder like he did every damn time Genji revealed himself. Hopefully Genji understood, as McCree leaned down once more. Their noses brush, and McCree can see the lights outside the window. Hear the carols over the crowd and thinks that maybe this time of year wasn’t all that horrible, after all. 

**Author's Note:**

> mccree and his goddamn awful timing, always


End file.
